1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an inductor array chip and a DC-DC converter including the inductor array chip.
2. Description of the Related Art
DC-DC converters have been known as elements having a function of outputting power at a voltage different from input power (see, for example, Japanese Patent No. 4325747). A DC-DC converter described in Japanese Patent No. 4325747 includes an inductor chip including inductors, and a control chip and a capacitor chip that are arranged on the inductor chip.
Regarding DC-DC converters, outputting a plurality of types of power, in which at least one of current and voltage differs among the plurality of types of power, from a single DC-DC converter, has been demanded. A DC-DC-converter that meets the above-mentioned demand may include a plurality of converting units. In the case where a plurality of types of converting units in which at least one of the voltage and current of output power differs among the plurality of types of converting units are arranged in a DC-DC converter, it is desirable that the inductance characteristics (for example, an inductance and an Rdc value) of each of the converting units can be adjusted in order to optimize the characteristics of the converting unit.
For example, in the case where an inductor chip including inductors arranged as in the DC-DC converter described in Japanese Patent No. 4325747 is used, a plurality of types of inductors whose number of stacked coil-shaped conductors greatly differs from one another may be arranged within a single inductor chip. However, in the case where a plurality of types of inductors whose number of stacked coil-shaped conductors differs from one another are arranged within a single inductor chip, a structural defect (a crack or the like) is likely to occur within a magnetic laminated body at the time of firing the inductor chip. Accordingly, there is a problem in that it is difficult to produce, with good stability, an inductor array chip including a plurality of types of inductors whose number of stacked coil-shaped conductors differs from one another.